Dialuminium nickel tetraoxide

Direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other

Administrative data

Endpoint:

direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other

Type of information:

migrated information: read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

weight of evidence

Study period:

1963-1968

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Meets generally accepted scientific standards with acceptable restrictions

Cross-reference

Cross-reference 1

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to same study

Cross-reference 2

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to other study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Chronic exposure to iron oxide, chromium oxide, and nickel oxide fumes of metal dressers in a steelworks

Author:

Jones JG, Warner CG

Year:

1972

Bibliographic source:

Br J Ind Med. 1972 Apr;29(2):169-77

Materials and methods

Study type:

clinical case study

Endpoint addressed:

repeated dose toxicity: inhalation

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Male steelworkers with known exposure to nitrogen, nickel, chromium and iron oxides were examined for their pulmonary function and for the presence of pneumoconiosis.

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Nickel monoxide

EC Number:

215-215-7

EC Name:

Nickel monoxide

Cas Number:

1313-99-1

IUPAC Name:

oxonickel

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): nickel oxide (iron oxide with varying proportions of chromium oxide and nickel oxide, nitrogen dioxide)

Method

Type of population:

occupational

Subjects:

HYPOTHESIS TESTED (if cohort or case control study): Occupational and medical histories, smoking habits, respiratory symptoms, chest radiographs, and ventilatory capacities were studied in 14 steelworkers employed as deseamers of steel ingots for periods of up to 16 years.

- Type: Interview /Work history / Clinical tests
- Details: Occupational histories were obtained for all 19 men giving the length of employment in the
deseaming department, whether deseaming or helping, and the periods of time spent working on stainless or special steel ingots. Details of jobs prior to working in the deseaming department were obtained from 15 men. Fourteen men, including all those with more than four years' exposure, volunteered for medical examination, and medical histories including details of respiratory symptoms and smoking habits were obtained from them. Ventilatory function tests (forced expiratory volume in
one second, FEV1.0 and forced vital capacity, FVC) were performed on these 14 men in 1963 using a spirometer. More detailed tests were made on four men who showed radiographic evidence of pneumoconiosis. Radiographic examinations of the chest using large films were made on 18 volunteers in 1963 and repeated on the four men showing evidence of pneumoconiosis in
1964 and 1966.



STUDY PERIOD: 1963-1968


SETTING: steel works industry


STUDY POPULATION
- Total population (Total no. of persons in cohort from which the subjects were drawn): 19 steelworkers
- Selection criteria: work as a deseamer
- Total number of subjects participating in study: 19 participating, 14 with medical examinations
- Sex/age/race: all men
- Smoker/nonsmoker: smoking histories were obtained for workers but not reported for them as a group
- Total number of subjects at end of study: same



HEALTH EFFECTS STUDIED
- Other health effects: respiratory symptoms and function, pneumoconiosis

Ethical approval:

confirmed, but no further information available

Route of exposure:

inhalation

Reason of exposure:

unintentional, occupational

Exposure assessment:

measured

Details on exposure:

DETAILS ON EXPOSURE – Exposure to NiO during deseaming of large stainless steel ingots and small special steel ingots

- Number of measurements: (a) 23 samples for nitrogen dioxin taken during deseaming and (b) 4 bulk samples from deseaming analyzed for metal elements
- Oxides of nitrogen: total oxides of nitrogen estimated by a colorimetric method; sensitivity was reported to <0.7 or 0.3 ppm according to the size of sample available
- Fumes during deseaming: collected with Hexhlet sampler; size distribution taken with standard thermal precipitator. Bulk and personal samples were collected for gravimetic estimation of the general airborne burden.


TYPE OF EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT: Area air sampling

EXPOSURE LEVELS: See Table 2.
RESULTS
EXPOSURE
- Number of measurements:
- Average concentrations:
- Arithmetic mean:
- Geometric mean:
- Median:
- 95-Percentile:
- Standard deviation:
- Date(s) of measurement(s):
- Other: Thermal precipitator samples taken during the desearning of both large and small ingots showed that most particles were below 2 microns in size, and very few occurred between the sizes of 2 to 5 microns

The men were exposed for approximately five hours of each working shift to fume concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 294.1 mg/m3 made up mainly of iron oxide with varying proportions of chromium oxide and nickel oxide.

Examinations:

- Lung function parameters: radiographs, pulmonary function tests, general respiratory symptoms
- Nickel content in urine estimated for one case

Medical treatment:

Not Reported

Results and discussion

Clinical signs:

- 4 men complained of persistent cough and sputum (3 were heavy smokers)
- 4 men complained that they were more dyspnoeic on exertion than they thought they should be

Results of examinations:

- Ventilatory function tests (n=14, conducted in 1963): all were within normal range except for one worker (case 19) who had symptoms of cough and sputum and a past history of asthma and spontaneous pneumothorax.
- Radiographic findings in relation to employment (n=18, conducted in 1963): 7 cases showed definite signs of pneumoconiosis, 5 of these cases were placed in ILO categories 2 or 3.

Based on these findings, some of the workers were further investigated via ventilatory function tests (n=4, conducted in 1964 and 1966) and estimations of urine concentrations (n=1, conducted in 1964)
-Ventilatory function tests: two of the cases were normal, two of the cases showed low FEV10 and FVC readings
-Estimations of nickel in urine: 0.060, 0.070, 0.064 and 0.068 ppm (mean value of 0.065 ppm) which were described as in the normal range

Effectivity of medical treatment:

Not Applicable

Outcome of incidence:

Not Applicable

Any other information on results incl. tables

EXPOSURE

- Nitrogen levels were low and the TLC of 5 ppm was only exceeded on two occasions

- Spectrographic qualitative analysis indicated that the main elements present were iron, chromium, nickel, and molybdenum

-Particle size: thermal precipitator samples taken during the deseaming of both large and small ingots showed that most particles were below 2 microns in size, and very few occurred between the sizes of 2 to 5 microns

Based on these findings the authors reported that the men were exposed for approximately five hours of each working shift to fume concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 294.1 mg/m3 made up mainly of iron oxide with varying proportions of chromium oxide and nickel oxide.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

The authors concluded because workers were exposed to compounds other than iron, siderosis was not an appropriate diagnosis and rather suggested that the correct diagnosis was mixed-dust pneumoconiosis and the loss of pulmonary function was caused by the effects of the mixture of metallic oxides.

Executive summary:

Jones and Warner (1972) reported on nineteen case studies of male steelworkers employed as deseamers of steel ingots. The authors estimated that workers were exposed to fume concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 294.1 mg/m3; fumes were said to contain mainly iron oxide with varying proportions of chromium oxide and nickel oxide. Occupational and medical histories, smoking habits, respiratory symptoms, chest radiographs, and ventilatory capacities were evaluated for each worker. Of the 19 cases, 4 men complained of persistent cough and sputum (3 were heavy smokers) and 4 men complained that they were more dysphonic on exertion than they thought they should be. Ventilatory function tests (n=14, conducted in 1963) were within normal range except for one worker who had symptoms of cough and sputum and a past history of asthma and spontaneous pneumothorax. Radiographic findings in relation to employment (n=18, conducted in 1963) indicated 7 cases that showed definite signs of pneumoconiosis, 5 of these cases were placed in ILO categories 2 or 3. Additional testing on workers with pneumoconiosis (conducted in 1964 and 1966) indicated that two of the cases were normal and two of the cases showed low FEV10 and FVC readings. The authors concluded because workers were exposed to compounds other than iron, siderosis was not an appropriate diagnosis and rather suggested that the correct diagnosis was mixed-dust pneumoconiosis and the loss of pulmonary function was caused by the effects of the mixture of metallic oxides. This case series identified pulmonary dysfunction and signs of pneumoconiosis among workers exposed to nickel oxide (among other exposures) at a steel working plant. Co-exposures to chromium oxide, iron oxide and nitrogen dioxide were present and could also account for the observed health effects. STUDY RATED BY AN INDEPENDENT REVIEWER